Marvel has just released the second film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase Five, which also serves as the 32nd film in the MCU and the last film in the Guardians trilogy. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 follows the Guardians on a mission to save Rocket’s life and protect him from his maker, the High Evolutionary.
Some of the cast announced that the third Guardians film would be their last. The film’s official synopsis provides that Rocket’s life is in danger. The trailer shows Nebula carrying an unconscious Peter Quill.
Because of these, fans have wondered who would die in the final film of the Guardians trilogy. So, who dies and who survives in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Read at your own risk!
Who Dies in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Thankfully, none of the Guardians die in the last movie. However, the following characters do not survive:
Lylla the Otter, Teefs the Walrus, and Floor the Rabbit
In a flashback scene, we meet Rocket’s friends and fellow test experiments Lylla the Otter, Teefs the Walrus, and Floor the Rabbit. The group talks about having new names when they move to the new world.
Lylla explains that “89Q12” isn’t really a name and shares that she would like to be called “Lylla”. Teefs the Walrus says that he wants to be called “Teefs” because “although we all do have them, mine are definitely the most prominent”. Floor the Rabbit wants to be called “Floor” because she’s lying on the floor.
They ask their friend Rocket what he wants his name to be. Rocket responds that someday, he’s gonna make machines fly and that he and his friends are gonna go flying together “into the forever and beautiful sky.” Thus, he wants to be called “Rocket”.
However, the High Evolutionary informs Rocket that he and his animal friends (Lylla, Teefs, and Floor) would not be going to the new world because they’re only test experiments and imperfect creations.
Because of this, Rocket tries to escape with his animal friends, but the High Evolutionary catches up to them. He shoots the otter Lylla. Seeing his friend dead, Rocket attacks the High Evolutionary and claws up his face.
When the guards arrive, they kill Teefs and Floor, and Rocket manages to escape.
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The High Priestess Ayesha of the Sovereign
Ayesha was the golden High Priestess and the leader of the Sovereign people. In the mid-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, she creates Adam Warlock to destroy the Guardians.
She dispatches Adam to retrieve Rocket for the High Evolutionary. Later in the film, she meets her end on Counter-Earth as her spaceship blows up. Adam goes on alone, but later on, he saves Peter Quill and joins the new Guardians of the Galaxy.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Ending: Rocket Survives
While there have been many fan theories suggesting that Rocket may die, Rocket Raccoon survives. When Adam Warlock attacks Knowhere, Rocket is severely injured.
The Guardians put him in the Medbay, but they can’t do much because a kill switch is attached to Rocket. Thus, they journey to Orgosphere to obtain Rocket’s file and the override code.
But Rocket’s condition gets worse and Peter and Gamora try to heal him. Their efforts seemingly fail because Rocket flatlines. Gamora tells Peter that Rocket’s gone, but Peter refuses to believe his best friend is dead.
Meanwhile, Rocket sees his friend Lylla in another dimension (or what appears to be the afterlife). He asks Lylla if he could join them, and Lylla says that he can, but his time has not yet come. Peter then successfully implements the override code and Rocket comes back to life. Whew!
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Ending: Peter Quill Survives
In the trailer, Peter is seen unconscious and being carried by Nebula, which leads fans to think that maybe he dies in this film. But actually, Peter becomes unconscious because he got drunk.
In the movie, Peter is heartbroken over the loss of Gamora, thus, he spends his days drinking. Peter later blames himself for what happened to Rocket because he thought that if he didn’t get drunk, Rocket wouldn’t end up fatally injured.
But although we see Peter Quill up until the post-credits scene in the film, that doesn’t mean he didn’t almost face death. The Guardians of the Galaxy get separated when they try to save Rocket.
Nebula, Mantis, and Drax go to the High Evolutionary’s ship thinking Peter was still there. They discover that there are captured children on the ship who are subject to experiments as well.
The Guardians come to rescue them along with Kraglin. With Cosmo the Spacedog’s telekinesis, they were able to connect the High Evolutionary's ship to Kraglin's ship to allow the children to cross.
Rocket finds baby raccoons and other animals on the ship, which reminds him of his past. The High Evolutionary arrives, but Rocket ends up beating him. The Guardians then rescue the rest of the experimented animals.
However, Cosmo could no longer hold the ships together. Peter goes back for his music player, but he ends up being stuck in space.
Peter freezes in space and it appears that he already died, but he is saved by a reformed Adam Warlock. So Peter Quill/Star-Lord survives.
RELATED: Will Gamora and Peter Quill Get Back Together in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Ending: Did the High Evolutionary Die?
The High Evolutionary is Rocket’s creator and a scientist from Counter-Earth who specializes in creating hybrid creatures. He wanted to create a “perfect society” by experimenting on both animals and children.
He takes an interest in Rocket after the latter solves a problem the scientist could not. The High Evolutionary wanted to get Rocket back because he believed that the raccoon was the only one capable of true invention due to his intelligence.
When the High Evolutionary attacks Rocket, the Guardians step in. Gamora removes the High Evolutionary’s mask, which then reveals his face after Rocket clawed him years ago.
Drax suggests that they should kill him, but Rocket chooses not to because he’s a “freaking Guardian of the Galaxy”.
However, even though Rocket chose not to kill him, the entire spaceship blew up while the High Evolutionary was still inside. Thus, it’s uncertain whether he actually survives.
If he does, he could be out there continuing his experiments for a “special race”, a story that can be further explored in another Guardians film.
Additionally, while Director James Gunn confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is his last film in the franchise, the post-credits scenes in the movie show that there’s still more to tell, especially with regard to the new Guardians of the Galaxy (Rocket, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, and Blurp).
For now, while there are no announcements yet, at least we know that all of the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy survive in Vol. 3.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters.
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